X5 Digital is exploring the possibility of launching unmanned delivery of orders from "Pyaterochka", "Perekrestok", and "Chizhik" stores. According to CNews, the company is looking for a partner who can provide a ready-made SaaS/PaaS solution: not just drones, but a service with equipment, software, support, and integration into the retailer's IT systems.
This refers to delivery to areas where regular couriers operate unprofitably or are physically inaccessible. This primarily includes private sectors and settlements. According to the technical specifications, drones must carry orders weighing up to 10 kilograms over a distance of up to 5 kilometers one way and deliver them within a maximum of 15 minutes after cargo transfer.
It is planned to use at least two drones at each location. Initially, the system should provide 50 flights per day, and then scale up to 100–200 flights. Annually, this could amount to up to 73,000 flights per store or dark store. UAVs must operate day and night, at temperatures from -20 °C to +40 °C, and for the Far East regions, up to -30 °C. Strong winds above 10 meters per second will be an exception.
The system must be maximally automated. Orders will be received from X5 WMS via API, after which the program will generate a flight mission. The picker will load the purchase into a container, and the operator will only intervene in case of abnormal situations. After landing, the order can be dropped into an autodrop, placed in a parcel locker with a code, or delivered to the client by other means. The software must be hosted on servers in Russia.
Experts believe that the technology itself is close to practical application, but the economics of such projects remain complex. Drone delivery is faster and not affected by traffic jams, but it often costs more than a regular courier. Therefore, for X5, such a project looks more like a cautious test: the company can verify the numbers in narrow scenarios and scale the solution only where the cost of the flight truly begins to align with logistics.